It’s hard to say no to a large plate of steaming spaghetti with a glorious sauce or any kind of pasta dish for that matter. It’s rich, comforting food that fills the belly and warms the heart.
Iconic star Sophia Loren claims that spaghetti has kept her youthful, joking that
“Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti.”
We wish it was that simple, but many of us agree that spaghetti and pasta are wonderful foods that offer good carbohydrates for lots of energy in a healthy lifestyle. As part of the Mediterranean diet, spaghetti keeps you slim and does not pile on the pounds as old myths have put out there.
It’s difficult to cook only a little pasta when it comes to enjoying this versatile grain. So, how do you store the left-overs for another time?
We can answer all of that; keep reading, and follow our simple steps.
Can you freeze spaghetti noodles and cooked pasta dishes?
Yes, you can freeze spaghetti noodles and cooked pasta dishes and still maintain excellent flavor and texture by adhering to a few basic rules. That is why pasta and all its wonderful shapes are convenient for saving ahead of time and avoiding food emergencies.
Maybe you cooked a major pot of spaghetti noodles or cooked other pasta dishes and would like to indulge at another time. No problem because freezing the pasta is a great idea. Remember to allow the spaghetti noodles or pasta dishes to cool, and you’re good to go. Experienced chefs advise using a portion size method and dividing up your amount for freezing.
All you need is a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Create little spaghetti noodle mounds of about a cup at a time, and position them apart from each other on the parchment paper.
Place the baking tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is hard enough to pick up, and the mounds don’t fall apart. Then pop them in a resealable freezer bag, and store them in the freezer for another time.
If you would prefer keeping your spaghetti noodles in one big portion, then most people pack the pasta into large freezer bags or a large air-tight plastic container, and pop it into the freezer.
Can you freeze spaghetti with meatballs?
Yes, you can freeze spaghetti with meatballs and the accompanying sauce that bathes this amazing classic Italian dish. It doesn’t matter how large the meatballs are or the type of sauce and spaghetti thickness you are dealing with, chefs agree that all three freeze beautifully.
If you are able to separate the meatballs and sauce from the pasta, then you could follow this method. Food experts would recommend under-cooking the pasta before freezing. Then you would place the sauce and meatballs together and pour them into a plastic air-tight container. Please oil the inside of the container first, so you don’t pick up an orange stain when you store the spaghetti with meatballs dish. You could also pour the meal into large resealable freezer bags. If the meatballs are very large, just slice them into smaller, flatter portions.
Then package the spaghetti separately solo in its own container or freezer bag, and pop them all into the freezer for a later date.
If the meal has already been put together and all mixed as one, that is alright too. Pour the contents into one large container and secure the lid for freezing.
When you’re ready for thawing, it’s not complicated, and chefs offer two easy methods. In the first one, remove the container from the freezer, and place it in the refrigerator. Your spaghetti and meatballs should thaw out completely within 24 hours.
For spaghetti and meatballs stored in plastic freezer bags, submerging them in a large pot of cold water will help speed up the defrosting process.
How long can you freeze spaghetti?
You can freeze spaghetti and other pastas for several months. In fact, the Washington Post.com interviewed food experts about freezing times and taking meals from the freezer to the table.
These food professionals say that spaghetti and their sauces and meats and cooked pasta left-overs will last anywhere from three to six months in the freezer.
